Impacts of real-time feedback on driving behaviour: a casestudy of bus passenger drivers

Over the years, there has been an increase in the focus on driving behaviour as a solution to minimize the road transportation high levels of energy consumption, as well as the emission of pollutants. The aim of this study was to analyse the impacts of real-time feedback on the driving behaviour of bus drivers, and to assess the potential impact of the characteristics of these subjects (age and time working at the company) on such behaviour. Data was collected with an on-board device installed in buses of a Portuguese urban transport operator. Three monitoring periods were considered: an initial phase, in which real-time feedback was given to drivers (phase 1), followed by a period of no feedback (phase 2), and then a final stage in which feedback was resumed (phase 3). A repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to assess the impacts of feedback in several driving indicators across the aforementioned phases. The results revealed that bus drivers accrue benefits from the feedback received, with significant differences between the three monitoring periods for all driving indicators analysed. After suspending the feedback, increases between 6% and 55% of the incidence of undesired driving indicators were observed, mainly in extreme brakes, extreme accelerations, excess RPM, and hard stops. Such insights can provide bus operators with new tools to develop programs promoting efficient driving behaviours

Prognostic value of hyperlactatemia in infected patients admitted to intensive care units: a multicenter study

Objective: To evaluate the influence of patient characteristics on hyperlactatemia in an infected population admitted to intensive care units and the influence of hyperlactatemia severity on hospital mortality. Methods: A post hoc analysis of hyperlactatemia in the INFAUCI study, a national prospective, observational, multicenter study, was conducted in 14 Portuguese intensive care units. Infected patients admitted to intensive care units with a lactate measurement in the first 12 hours of admission were selected. Sepsis was identified according to the Sepsis-2 definition accepted at the time of data collection. The severity of hyperlactatemia was classified as mild (2 - 3.9mmol/L), moderate (4.0 - 9.9mmol/L) or severe (> 10mmol/L). Results: In a total of 1,640 patients infected on admission, hyperlactatemia occurred in 934 patients (57%), classified as mild, moderate and severe in 57.0%, 34.4% and 8.7% of patients, respectively. The presence of hyperlactatemia and a higher degree of hyperlactatemia were both associated with a higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index and the presence of septic shock. The lactate Receiver Operating Characteristic curve for hospital mortality had an area under the curve of 0.64 (95%CI 0.61 - 0.72), which increased to 0.71 (95%CI 0.68 - 0.74) when combined with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. In-hospital mortality with other covariates adjusted by Simplified Acute Physiology Score II was associated with moderate and severe hyperlactatemia, with odds ratio of 1.95 (95%CI 1.4 - 2.7; p < 0.001) and 4.54 (95%CI 2.4 - 8.5; p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Blood lactate levels correlate independently with in-hospital mortality for moderate and severe degrees of hyperlactatemia.This work was supported by an unrestricted grant from Grupo de Infeção e Sépsis (GIS), Porto, Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evidence for the first multi-species shark nursery area in Atlantic Africa (Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde)

Funding: This research is part of project NGANDU (The Importance of Shark Populations and Sustainable Ocean Use for Human Well-being in Cabo Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa) funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) under grant agreement FCT AGA-KHAN/541746579/2019. All authors acknowledge funding from FCT under the strategic project UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE and project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. TM acknowledges funding from the strategic project UIDB/00006/2020 granted to CEAUL. CF acknowledges funding from FCT research contract 2020.03704.CEECIND and FCT grant agreement PTDC/CTA-AMB/30226/2017. VP acknowledges funding from FCT PhD grant 2020.05435.BD. CS acknowledges funding from FCT PhD grant SFRH/BD/117890/2016, FCT research grants under PTDC/CTA-AMB/30226/2017 through FCiencias.ID and AGA-KHAN/541746579/2019 through Nova School of Business and Economics. EN acknowledges funding from FCT PhD grant SFRH/BD/135438/2017. JRP acknowledges funding from FCT research contract 2021.01030.CEECIND. JV acknowledges funding from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (PhD grant, IPCC Scholarship Programme–Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation) and the Camões–Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, I.P. (Scholarship Programme).This study describes the first potential multi-species shark nursery area in Atlantic Africa (Sal Rei Bay – SRB, Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde). From August 2016 to September 2019, 6162 neonates and juveniles of 5 different shark species were observed in SRB using beach gillnet-based bycatch surveys, namely milk (Rhizoprionodon acutus; n= 4908), scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini; n= 1035), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus; n=115), Atlantic weasel (Paragaleus pectoralis; n= 93) and nurse (Ginglymostoma cirratum; n= 12) sharks. Except for nurse sharks, significant seasonal variations in shark relative abundance were observed, with higher levels being recorded during summer and autumn. These findings, together with local knowledge (interviews to fishermen), denote the consistent use of SRB by juvenile sharks and its preference relative to other areas in the region. Ensuring the protection and conservation of SRB nursery area is especially relevant as, according to IUCN, all identified shark species are threatened with extinction over the near-future – in particular, scalloped hammerheads (critically endangered) and Atlantic weasel sharks (endangered). The effective protection of SRB will not only support the conservation of shark populations, but also of other charismatic fauna (e.g., loggerhead turtles) and broader benthic and pelagic ecosystems.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Risk for physical dependence in community-dwelling older adults: The role of fear of falling, falls and fall-related injuries

Background: Falls and fall-related injuries along with fear of falling (FoF) seem to restrict activities of daily living (ADL), resulting in physical dependence. However, it is still unclear how falls and related injuries or FoF by themselves explain general and specific ADL dependence. Objectives: To investigate the relationships between falls and related injuries, FoF and physical dependence on ADL in community-dwelling older adults, controlling for age, gender, physical activity and physical fitness as confounders. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed 588 community-dwelling older adults. Falls and fall-related injuries, ADL dependence on basic, instrumental and advanced activities, FoF, demographic characteristics and health conditions were assessed through a questionnaire. Physical activity was measured through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Physical fitness was assessed by the Senior Fitness Test and the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale. Body composition was measured through bioimpedance. Results: Severe injuries occurrence increased the likelihood of moderate and high physical dependence by 3 and 6 times, while FoF increased this likelihood by 3 and 7 times, respectively. Also, the occurrence of previous falls, resulting in severe injuries, increased the likelihood of dependence in two instrumental ADL (3 and 4 times), while FoF increased this likelihood in numerous basic, instrumental and advanced ADL (2–3 times). The FoF was shown to explain overall physical functioning depend- ence, by itself, representing a constraint on the performance of most basic, instru- mental and advanced ADL. Conclusion: The FoF showed to be a greater threat to ADL dependence than falls and related injuries. Assessment guidelines for older adults living in the community should include the FoF in clinical evaluation. Implications for practice: Understand the isolated interplay of FoF and previous falls and injuries on ADL dependence among older adults allows healthcare professionals to perform more accurate clinical evaluations and develop more successful interven- tions to prevent further dependence

The inhibitory capacity of organometallic compounds with anticancer features in GST P1-1 enzyme activity: An automatic approach

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Monte da Revelada 2 – Preliminary results

A construção da nova fábrica de papel Tissue, da empresa Paper Prime, S.A., em Vila Velha de Ródão, levou à identificação e escavação do sítio arqueológico Revelada 2. O sítio foi escavado até ao substrato geológico numa área superior a 170m2, tendo-se individualizado dezenas de unidades estratigráficas. Do espólio arqueológico recolhido constam mais de 40000 artefactos entre indústria lítica, termoclastos e cerâmica pré-histórica, parte dele aparentemente associado a possíveis estruturas de combustão e buracos de poste. A seriação preliminar do acervo permite apontar para a presença de uma sequência de ocupações pré-históricas constituída por, pelo menos, Neolítico, Epipaleolítico e Paleolítico Médio. Porém, diversos fenómenos de formação de sítio, nomeadamente dinâmicas de vertente e agricultura, afectaram de forma assimétrica diversos contextos em área, profundidade ou intensidade. Neste artigo pretende-se fazer a apresentação de Revelada 2, dos trabalhos, metodologias, resultados e da sua interpretação preliminar, deixando em aberto a revisão da mesma em trabalhos futuros.The construction of the new paper factory Tissue from Paper Prime, S.A. Company, at Vila Velha de Ródão, led to the identification and excavation of the archaeological site Revelada 2. The site was excavated down to its geological base, comprising over 170m2, with the identification of dozens of stratigraphic units. The archaeological assemblage encompasses over 40,000 artifacts, between lithics, firecracks and Prehistoric pottery, some of them apparently associated with possible hearths and postholes. The preliminary seriation of the assemblage allowed to point for the presence of a sequence of prehistoric occupations with, at least, Neolithic, Epipaleolithic and Middle Paleolithic. However, some site formation processes, namely slope dynamics and agriculture, affected, in an asymmetric fashion, various contexts in area, deepness or intensity. In this article we aim to present Revelada 2, the work, methods, results and preliminary interpretation, leaving open the revision of the last in future works.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio